National Aquarium Announces Birth of Baby Sloth

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Why hang around like a sloth this spring break when you can come to National Aquarium and see one in person? The National Aquarium announced today the birth of Felize, a Linne’s two-toed sloth born on March 30. The baby sloth is the newest addition to the Upland Tropical Rain Forest and the fifth sloth born at the National Aquarium.

“The sloths at the National Aquarium provide a rare opportunity for guests and staff alike to be inspired by these amazing animals,” said Debra Dial, National Aquarium Senior Aviculturist. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome our newest addition to the Rain Forest family.”

Felize is the third baby for mother Ivy, who came to the exhibit in 2007. Feliz’s father, Xeno, was born at the Aquarium in 2010.

Linne’s two-toed sloths are commonly found in South America’s rain forests, where they spend almost their entire lives among the treetops. With two claws on their front feet and three on the back, Linne’s two-toed sloths are perfectly designed for an arboreal life. In fact, sloths even mate and give birth while hanging upside-down!

Linne’s two-toed sloths are currently not threatened, however, other species of sloth such as the maned three-toed sloth and pygmy three-toed sloth are endangered. The sloths at the National Aquarium help to inform people of the plight of all sloths from threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation of forests, as well as to inspire conservation, protection and welfare of these and other animals. Forest fragmentation forces sloths to come to the ground to travel to additional food trees. On the ground, they become easy prey for dogs and humans. Additionally, many sloths are either killed or injured when trying to cross roadways, others are electrocuted by overhead electrical lines.